PAT CAPUTO: Tigers formidable, but still must address these flaws

On paper, the Tigers are not only the best team in the American League, they are the top team in Major League Baseball.

You begin with a nucleus at the top of their roster. It's not just the Big Three - perennial Cy Young Award candidate starting pitcher Justin Verlander, Triple Crown-winning third baseman Miguel Cabrera and potential Hall of Fame first baseman Prince Fielder, but center fielder Austin Jackson is often overlooked. Not only did Jackson rate among the American League's best all-around hitters last season (he hit .300, his OPS was 15th in the AL and he was eighth in the Sabermetrics stat WAR in 2012), he is an extraordinary fielder.

The next tier of the Tigers' roster is not exactly underwhelming. Would it surprise anyone if Max Scherzer, Doug Fizter and Anibal Sanchez were among the best starting pitchers in the AL in 2013? Right field was a glaring hole. It has been filled by free agent Torii Hunter, an amazingly consistent performer, who has shown no sign of slowing down.

Delmon Young is gone. Victor Martinez is back from injury to replace him at DH. It's a huge upgrade on a number of levels. Martinez is a considerably more consistent hitter than the free-swinging Young, is a switch hitter, which adds balance to the lineup, and his presence in the clubhouse is much more uplifting. The Tigers aren't lacking leadership.

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There are other good parts, too. The Tigers will have Omar Infante and his superior range defensively at second base for an entire season. Catcher Alex Avila and left fielder Andy Dirks are good, young and proven players. There is a solid veteran presence in the bullpen with Joaquin Benoit, Octavio Dotel and Phil Coke.

But now that the Tigers' many strengths have been pointed out, there are still a number of questions that need to be answered. For as is, the Tigers still remain a somewhat flawed club:

- Closer: The Tigers were fortunate in the postseason after Jose Valverde melted down. For whatever reason, Coke put together an incredible streak, especially in the American League Championship Series against his former team, the Yankees..

Ideally, Coke, who was the source of much angst among Tiger fans during the regular season, is a late-inning situational lefty or mid-innings setup man, but not closer. Benoit and Dotel don't fit the closer bill anymore, either. Rookie Bruce Rondon throws exceptionally hard and was productive in the minor leagues in 2012 at three levels, but has never thrown a major league pitch. He had some command problems at Triple-A, where the hitters are more patient than Class A and Double A. The remaining free agent market has shrunk and presents less-than-desirable options. Bullpen by committee rarely works. What will the Tigers do? It is, by far, their biggest issue.

- Fifth starter: The Tigers have excellent options here. Drew Smyly is left-handed, but Rick Porcello probably has better "stuff," but it's undeniable how good a "feel" for pitching Smyly possesses. Would the Tigers dare trade Porcello at 24 for, say, a closer when he is just about to enter his prime? Speculation is rampant they will. I am not so sure.

- Range at shortstop: I don't see any panic in getting a shortstop with better range than holdover Jhonny Peralta. For one thing, he played extremely well defensively in the postseason, especially given his struggles to cover ground during the regular season. Secondly, I see Peralta as a good hitter, who had a down season by his standards. He is capable of rebounding offensively. Peralta's lack of range was less glaring after the Tigers acquired Infante.

- A right-handed hitting outfielder: I see Dirks as an every day player. The sample size is relatively small (114 at bats), but Dirks has nearly the same career OPS against left-handed pitchers (.787) as right-handed pitchers (.795). Avisail Garcia is still in the system, and is being underestimated as a right-handed option. He hasn't learned to turn on pitches with authority yet, but the probability is he will. It could be sooner instead of later. Garcia does fight to put the ball in play, and showed last season he can handle big moments far better than most young, developing players.